I'm okay with Dioner Navarro. I'm not expecting our catcher next year to be Buster Posey, but I am expecting him to play good defense, have good chemistry with the pitchers and be somewhat competent at the plate. Last year, our catchers were liabilities on both sides of the field.

I wouldn't mind Salty, but it depends on the price. MLBTradeRumors predicted 4 years and $36 million. That's nuts!

I want Salty, but at the price? Hell no.

__________________"I have the ultimate respect for White Sox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Red Sox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country." Jim Caple, ESPN (January 12, 2011)

"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the (bleeding) obvious is the first duty of intelligent men." — George Orwell

Still, no. Rather see the team sign a veteran stop gap than pay that price.

I agree that's a lot to pay for someone who's just slightly above average offensively, but offense at that position does come with a premium in cost. And having offense there means you don't necessarily need world beaters at traditionally offensive positions.

I agree that's a lot to pay for someone who's just slightly above average offensively, but offense at that position does come with a premium in cost. And having offense there means you don't necessarily need world beaters at traditionally offensive positions.

It's again the issue I raised in the AJ thread about whether the Sox intend on competing or rebuilding the next few season. If the former, Salty is fine. If the latter, you could go that route, but I would also advocate stopgaps like Dioneer Navarro.

It's again the issue I raised in the AJ thread about whether the Sox intend on competing or rebuilding the next few season. If the former, Salty is fine. If the latter, you could go that route, but I would also advocate stopgaps like Dioneer Navarro.

I think a lot will depend on draft projections, too. If they think they're nabbing their catcher of the future, a stopgap is likely.

If we're talking about getting people for the future in free agency, yeah...it doesn't make the most sense with what's out there this season. Really, there's only one young, potential long term core piece out there (Masahiro Tanaka), and while I would LOVE for that to happen, I think two $60+ million international free signings is highly unlikely. Barring that unlikely scenario, the only signings we're looking at are veterans and also-rans at 1-2 years while we rebuild.

The problem with signing a stopgap is who are you stopping the gap for? If the Sox had a catching prospect who appeared to be a year or two away from the big leagues, then, yes, you sign a stopgap. Do the Sox have that player? I'm not sure they do.

It comes down to whether the Sox are looking for a long-term solution at the position, and whether they think Salty is that solution. If they believe so, then pay the money and get him in here. If not, then they need to pursue other avenues. I think catcher is a position that needs to be addressed this offseason.

The problem with signing a stopgap is who are you stopping the gap for? If the Sox had a catching prospect who appeared to be a year or two away from the big leagues, then, yes, you sign a stopgap. Do the Sox have that player? I'm not sure they do.

It comes down to whether the Sox are looking for a long-term solution at the position, and whether they think Salty is that solution. If they believe so, then pay the money and get him in here. If not, then they need to pursue other avenues. I think catcher is a position that needs to be addressed this offseason.

The problem with signing a stopgap is who are you stopping the gap for? If the Sox had a catching prospect who appeared to be a year or two away from the big leagues, then, yes, you sign a stopgap. Do the Sox have that player? I'm not sure they do.

It comes down to whether the Sox are looking for a long-term solution at the position, and whether they think Salty is that solution. If they believe so, then pay the money and get him in here. If not, then they need to pursue other avenues. I think catcher is a position that needs to be addressed this offseason.

Hopefully they look at Salty as a stopgap because he is a liability defensively. He was one of the worse catchers in AL at throwing out basestealers. His % was worse than Flowers and Phegley. But it was not the Red Sox pitchers since their backup, Ross was one of the best in AL.

The problem with signing a stopgap is who are you stopping the gap for? If the Sox had a catching prospect who appeared to be a year or two away from the big leagues, then, yes, you sign a stopgap. Do the Sox have that player? I'm not sure they do.

It comes down to whether the Sox are looking for a long-term solution at the position, and whether they think Salty is that solution. If they believe so, then pay the money and get him in here. If not, then they need to pursue other avenues. I think catcher is a position that needs to be addressed this offseason.

Maybe if they sign a stopgap, they'll be tipping their hand that they are planning on drafting Alex Jackson.

__________________
What is Mind? -- Doesn't Matter!
What is Matter? -- Never Mind!
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If the move is for the next two years, it certainly should be a vetaran to help the pitchers along. K's shouldn't matter in the least because in 3-4 years when we're competing the lineup *should* be more balanced. Salty's young enough to still be here and be good.

He's not very good now, is he? It looks like he had a career year last year. And didn't he not start the last couple of games of the World Series?

FWIW, here's a column from Boston that suggests the Red Sox have not soured on Saltalamacchia but instead did not extend him a qualifying offer because they made offers to Stephen Drew and Mike Napoli. Had they made offers to all three players, they ran the risk of eclipsing MLB's $189 million luxury tax payroll mark, which the Sawx are trying to avoid.

It's again the issue I raised in the AJ thread about whether the Sox intend on competing or rebuilding the next few season. If the former, Salty is fine. If the latter, you could go that route, but I would also advocate stopgaps like Dioneer Navarro.

I'm still trying to figure out how signing a catcher to ten million a year would disrupt the rebuilding process. It's not like we have any good catching prospects, but even if we did, between the 30-40 games the backup would get plus a .190 hitting DH who sucks even worse against lefties and should be benched as much as possible, there would still be plenty of at bats to go around. The Sox are not the Marlins. There's no reason they can't rebuild and add valuable parts at the same time.

__________________"Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be."